IBM Research published a paper on September 15, 2026, showing a theoretical separation between small quantum circuits and large language models for one functional and one sampling task. The 60-page paper, 'Separating quantum circuits from classical LLMs,' was posted on arXiv on August 4, 2026. The authors note the results are purely theoretical and do not imply practical advantage due to noisy quantum computers.
The IceCube Observatory at the South Pole received its first upgrade since 2010, adding hundreds of new light sensors that are 2–3 times more sensitive than older ones, along with new calibration instruments. The NSF allocated $53 million for the project through 2031.
Researchers developed reinforced ice called BioPykrete, which is about 10 times stronger than regular ice and absorbs about 70 times more energy before failure. The material solves the main problem of ice—sudden cracking.
Scientists used advanced X-ray crystallography to determine the atomic structure of a macromolecule at unprecedented resolution. The method provides more accurate data on the structure of proteins and their functions.
Kia unveiled the PV7 electric van at IAA Transportation, and a prototype was soon spotted in hot-weather testing in the US. The 5350 mm model will offer 71.5 and 96.2 kWh batteries, up to 460 km WLTP range, and 800V architecture with 10–80% charging in 25 minutes.
Tesla began public rides in two-seat Cybercab robotaxis in Austin on September 4 without announcement or livestream. The fleet is small and limited to a geofence, NHTSA has started a safety certification review, and investors point to risks and capex exceeding $25 billion.
CATL unveiled TECTRANS II modular platform at IAA Transportation 2026: up to 1000 km range, megawatt charging to 80% in 25 minutes, 170 Wh/kg density, and 12-year or 1.5 million km lifespan retaining 70% capacity. CATL signed an agreement with DHL for green freight corridors in Europe.
Scientists found that the cloud from the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption destroyed methane: satellites recorded record formaldehyde levels, indicating active gas breakdown. The mechanism involves volcanic ash, sea salt, and sunlight forming chlorine that attacks methane.
Chinese manufacturer Yadea, which has sold over 100 million two-wheelers, entered a strategic partnership with African company Spiro. The companies will jointly produce electric motorcycles and scooters for Africa and integrate them into Spiro's network of 2,500 battery swap stations in seven countries.
The ESA and JAXA BepiColombo mission, launched on 20 October 2018, is entering the final stage of its journey to Mercury after nearly eight years of flight with gravity assists and solar-electric propulsion. The BELA laser altimeter is ready to study the planet's surface.
Researchers at the University of Zurich propose systematically integrating satellite imagery into conflict studies, as it documents destruction where no journalists or witnesses are present. Imagery confirmed the burning of Rohingya homes in Myanmar's Chut Pyin village in 2017.
German researchers found planned EU offshore wind farms in the North Sea could slow surface winds by 6–11 km/h and change rainfall: 12–18% more rain over the farms and up to 15% less on coasts of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. The EU plans 60 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and 300 GW by 2050.
A study in Science found that from midlife the share of embryonic-origin microglia in the human hippocampus drops sharply, replaced by cells with an inflammatory profile, while the genome's three-dimensional structure becomes disordered. This may explain why age is the main risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases.
Researchers from the University of Ottawa and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light created polarization entanglement of photons using sunlight instead of a laser for the first time. In an outdoor experiment the state was 94% close to perfectly entangled, and correlations violated Bell's inequality.
A study in Frontiers in Space Technologies estimated lunar water ice reserves at 600 million tons. A city of 1 million people would exhaust them in just over two years, or a century with 98% water recycling like on the ISS. A small settlement of 1,000–10,000 people would last several centuries.
Using a robotic platform and AI, scientists discovered an unexpected mechanism in a classic chemical reaction known for 135 years. The work shows the same reagents can follow different pathways depending on concentration, temperature and catalysts.
NASA's Curiosity rover found wide, shallow pits on the slope of Mount Sharp unlike previously seen formations. Scientists collected data with MAHLI, Mastcam, ChemCam and APXS and found layers in the pit material chemically distinct from the surrounding rock.
The Hubble telescope detected a large atmospheric wave with 10 sides at Saturn's south pole, the first such structure in the planet's southern hemisphere. It resembles Saturn's northern hexagon but differs from it and, based on data since 2023, is strengthening. The results were published in Science Advances.
A team led by Professor Anna Soter from ETH Zurich and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen has taken a step toward an experiment to measure muon gravitational interaction. The goal is to test whether gravity acts equally on ordinary and exotic matter, potentially challenging Einstein's theory of gravity.
California startup Swarm Aero unveiled the Gamera drone with a 72-foot wingspan and range up to 9,000 nautical miles (about 10,357 miles) without refueling. The aircraft is being developed for the Pentagon's Massed Modular Aircraft program, which seeks a replacement for the MQ-9A Reaper costing about $10 million per unit.
Researchers from DESY and the University of Hamburg created a portable X-ray device called ENCI that virtually opens sealed Assyrian and Babylonian clay envelopes without damage. Initial scans at the Louvre and Ankara Museum allowed reading a letter from a wife to merchant Ennum-Ashur and found a 4,000-year-old barley grain inside one envelope.
Space42 and Viasat agreed to invest up to $1 billion in the Equatys joint venture, which will focus on direct-to-device (D2D) satellite communications for regular smartphones.
The European Space Agency and Axiom Space agreed to cooperate on building low Earth orbit infrastructure after the ISS is decommissioned. The memorandum covers a European cargo vehicle, a possible crewed spacecraft, and use of AxEMU spacesuits for astronaut training.
The U.S. Air Force aims to field at least 500 Collaborative Combat Aircraft — semi-autonomous drones that operate alongside crewed fighters — by 2032. The first two models are named FQ-42 Vengeance (General Atomics) and FQ-44 Fury (Anduril); the earlier plan was 150 aircraft by the end of the decade.
University of Tokyo scientists created nanostructures based on the aperiodic monotile 'Smith hat' on silicon nitride films and illuminated them with a laser. The diffraction patterns were chiral, resembling pinwheels, and changed under mirror reflection, unlike ordinary quasicrystals.
The IAEA has raised its long-term nuclear power forecast for the sixth consecutive year. In an optimistic scenario, global nuclear capacity will grow to 1,284 GWe by 2060, with about 284 GWe from small modular reactors—roughly 950–1,100 units.
BYD showcased a line of electric commercial vehicles for Europe at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hannover. The flagship is the ETT 44 tractor with a 651 kWh Blade battery, up to 600 km range, and 20–80% charging in about 20 minutes at 1.5 MW.
Researchers from SwRI and the University of Arizona used new SPH simulations to account for material strength and temperature during Earth's collision with Theia for the first time. In some scenarios, a whole Moon forms in about five hours rather than from a debris disk.
The Institute of Process Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ganfeng Lithium launched the world's first industrial line with a capacity of 500 tons per year to extract rubidium and cesium from lithium mining waste in Jiangxi province. The 17-column extraction unit recovers over 95% of rubidium and 98% of cesium, reducing solvent consumption by 40%.
The four-foot autonomous sailboat Oshen C-Star PC13 traveled 3,555 miles from Gran Canaria to Barbados in 127 days, becoming the first vessel to complete the Microtransat Challenge since 2010. This was Oshen's third attempt after failures in 2023 and 2024.
